The Best Time to Take a Walk to Boost Metabolism

Walking, according to the experts at the Mayo Clinic, is a natural form of exercise with plenty of health benefits, including boosting your body's metabolism. It is recommended that when walking for fitness and metabolism-boosting benefits, one should walk 30 to 45 minutes three to four times per week.

The best time to boost metabolism by walking will vary according to your schedule. Depending on your lifestyle, you can determine from the following information which time of day is best for you to boost your metabolism by walking.

  1. Morning Walking

    • For most people, the morning is the best time to get the body's metabolism going. According to the TimesOnline, since sleeping is the period of time during which the body's metabolism slows down the most, morning is the logical choice for boosting it back up.

      It is suggested that you eat a healthy breakfast and wait at least one hour before beginning your fitness walk. This starts the metabolism, and allows the food you consumed to start burning as you walk, increasing your metabolism substantially.

      If you can get in a walk of 30 to 45 minutes at a good pace, your metabolism will experience a significant boost into the work day. You will feel more energized and alert as your metabolism continues to burn fat into the late morning hours.

    Multiple Walks

    • One thing to consider before starting morning walks, however, is your daily schedule. If you have a job that is sedentary--meaning you spend the vast majority of the day sitting--the TimesOnline recommends spacing your walks into at least two sessions.

      It may sound impractical to break up a walking workout into multiple parts, or too time-consuming, but there are many ways to accomplish this. For one, if your place of employment is within walking distance, making the commute on foot to and from work will work wonders to keep your metabolism boosted throughout the day. If this is impossible due to distance or locale, try walking during work breaks instead of hitting the snack machines. After your walk, eat a healthy snack to maximize your metabolic boost, since food and exercise work together to boost overall metabolism.

    Tips for Walking

    • Drinking plenty of water before, during and after walking, says TheWalkingSite, is important in maintaining a healthy walking routine. Think of it like oil in a car--your car runs better with plenty of clean oil, just as your body's metabolism is maximized when it is properly hydrated.

      Set a schedule and commit to it. If you want to get the most metabolic boost from your walking, why not make it a daily practice? Walking is low-impact, and is less likely to cause strain or injury than running or jogging. Once your body becomes used to your morning or multiple daily walking schedule, you will find that the gains in your metabolism will continue to increase.